given



(No Model.)

B. SOULE & P. F. GIVEN.

FOOT GUARD FOR RAILWAYS.

No. 335,847. l atelltad Feb. 9, 1886.

WLUWESSEAS' BUREB M. SOULE AND PHILONZO F. GIVEN, OF CEDAR RAPIDS,IOYVA; SAID P. F. GIVE ASSIGNOR TO CARL E. GIVEN, OF SAME PLACE.

FCOT GUARD F R R'AI LWAYS.

ELFECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 335,847, datedFebruary 9, 1886.

Application filed August 31, 1885.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, BUREN M. SOULE and PHILONZO F. GIVEN, citizens ofthe United States of America, residing at Cedar Rapids,

in the county of Linn, in the State of Iowa, have inventcda new anduseful Improvement in Foot-Guards for Railways,of which the following isa specification.

Our invention has relation to improvements m in means for filling in thespaces between adjacent rails of switches, frogs, and guardrails toprevent accidents; and the object is to improve existing devices of thekind by providing a foot-guard which is'held in its 1 place by thefunction of frictional contact and by the force of springs, so that itwill meet all the purposes intended, and because of its particularconstruction and mechanical function will remain fixed in position underall temperatures, ordinary exigencies of contraction or expansionofmetallic surroundings, and the jars and jolts of moving trains.

We attain these objects and purposes of our improvements by means of thedevices illustrated in the accompanying drawings,where- Figure 1 is aperspective View of the footguard seated between convergent rails. Fig.2 is a cross-section takenthrough the line xx of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 isperspective of the footguard, showing the springs in the side flanges.

The letter A designates the foot-guard, comprised of a plane-faced metalplate formed with an arched center, as seen at a, and side 3 5flanges,a, formed to fit the stem, and between the flanges or" therails, the upper edge of the flange being formed to reach under the toplip of the rail 13 and set below it so as to avoid contact with theflanges of the car-wheels.

0 The plate is made thinner in the'central or main portion, and isre-enforced in those parts approaching the union with the side flanges,the line of union being somewhat below the middle of the vertical heightof the flange,

5 and the upper surface being carried in a curve to the top of the sideflange, substantially as seen at a" in the drawings. The side flangesform the abutments or supports for the guards, and no supplementarysupports are used, as they arenot essential or necessary. The sides ofthe plate are formed to meet the direction of the rails, between whichit is to be seated.

Serial No. 175,787. (No model.)

In the drawings a plate is shown tapering, and seated between railsarranged to form a corresponding direction of alignment. As g thusformed, the plate is convexoconcave in cross-section, and being of metalmakes a body which can be forced into posit-ion between the rails, andhas suflicient spring to press outward and maintain itself firmly inposition, and this conformation and arrangement, under ordinarycircumstances of statical condition, will prove sufficient; but thefoot-guard being surrounded by material which contracts and expands byvariation of temperature, and being of a material subject to likechanges, we prefer, in order to secure the guard in position under allcircumstances, exigencies, and relations or conditions of parts, tosecure to the sides of each of the side flanges one or more springs, as,a, which are arranged to bear outward, and thus meet all changesincident to the causes named.

In the drawings we have shown the device as having rubber cushions C,disposed in mor- 7 5 tises c, formedin the sides of the side flanges;but it is apparent that other forms of springs or springs of othermaterial may be secured to the flanges and serve the same purpose.

The foot-guard is placed in position by putting it between the rails ata place where it can loosely set between them, and then forcing itsnugly and firmly in the position determined upon.

It will be readily perceived that when the S5 guard is in position therestraint of the rails tends to raise the arch of theplate,while at thesame time, the resiliency of the plate presses the flanges home betweenthe flanges of the rails and against their stem, and thus the plate isheld firmly and securely in place without spikes or other fastenings. Itwill be seen, also, that as the plate is driven home the springs willset within the mortises or seats and meet any and all alteration of 5spreadzbetween the rails,the plate,by reason of its resiliency and byits springs, always adjusting itself in its seat.

hat we claim as our invention,:and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. A foot-guard for railways, consisting of aconvexoconcave metal platehaving a planed arched surface, and side flanges formed to set betweenthe flanges and against the stem of the rails, and adapted to be held inposition by the resiliency of the arch of the plate, substantially asdescribed.

2. A foot-guard for railways, consisting of a spring-metal plate ofplane-arched shape in cross-section, and having side flanges to setbetween the rails, whereby the guard is held in position by the force ofthespringplate, substantially as described.

3. A foot-guard for railways, consisting of a plane-facedconvexo-eoncave metal plate formed with recessed side flanges to setbetween the rails and provided with side springs resting in the recessesin the side faces of the side flanges, substantially as described.

4. A foot-guard for railways, consisting of a convexo-concave metalplate formed with supporting side flanges to set between the rails andhaving lnortises formed in the side flanges and rubber springs fitted inthe mortises,substantially as described and for the purpose stated.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our names in the presence of twoattesting witnesses.

BUREN M. SOULE. PHILONZO F. GIVEN. Attest:

I. N, WHITTAM, C. E. GIVEN.

